Everything you need to knowabout Thai literature,from its origins to Thai fiction today.Literary criteria used in the selectionof the 20 best novels of the last century,from The circus of lifeto The white shadow:plots – excerpts – critical assessment.Biographies of their 18 authors,from Arkartdamkeung Rapheephatto Saneh Sangsuk.

**A New York Times Notable BookFinalist for the National Book Critics Circle AwardA personal, lyrical narrative about storytelling and empathy, from the author of Orwell's Roses**Apricots. Her mother's disintegrating memory. An invitation to Iceland. Illness. These are Rebecca Solnit's raw materials, but The Faraway Nearby goes beyond her own life, as she spirals out into the stories she heard and read—from fairy tales to Mary Shelley's

This beautiful collection of travel wisdom is the perfect gift for any Theroux fan, and will equally delight seasoned travelers, young adventurers, and everyone in between.Few have traveled more than Paul Theroux, and fewer have crafted the original, perceptive, and entertaining body of work that he has. The Tao of Travel is a departure for him: it's a gift book, a gorgeously illustrated and pithy distillation of quotes about the pleasures and perils of tr...

Warned by a Hong Kong fortune-teller not to risk flying for a whole year, Tiziano Terzani — a vastly experienced Asia correspondent — took what he called “the first step into an unknown world. . . . It turned out to be one of the most extraordinary years I have ever spent: I was marked for death, and instead I was reborn.”Traveling by foot, boat, bus, car, and train, he visited Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Geo...

One of the best travel writers now at work in the English language brings back the sights and sounds from a dozen different frontiers. A cryptic encounter in the perfumed darkness of Bali; a tour of a Bolivian prison, conducted by an enterprising inmate; a nightmarish taxi ride across southern Yemen, where the men with guns may be customs inspectors or revolutionaries–these are just three of the stops on Pico Iyer’s latest itinerary.But the true subject of Sun After Dark

“A generous and pleasurable collection. . . . Vibrant and illuminating, with quotable lines on every page. . . . [Lessing is] a superb essayist: lucid, wise, knowledgeable, and witty.”— BooklistIn this collection of the very best of Doris Lessing’s essays we are treated to the wisdom and keen insight of a writer who has learned, over the course of a brilliant career, to read the world differently. From imagining the secret sex life of Tolstoy to the secrets of Sufism, from reviews ...

In today’s crazily busy world the importance of making time for leisure is more vital than ever. Yet so many of us lack a talent for it. We are working longer hours, consuming more than ever before; technology erodes the work–life balance further; increasingly, people feel that only work gives existence meaning. In a world where time is money, what is the value of walking without purpose, socialising without networking, nesting when we could be on our laptops?Robert Dessaix shows, ...

Mohawk hair-cuts in Bali, yuppies in Hong Kong and Rambo rip-offs in the movie houses of Bombay are just a few of the jarring images that Iyer brings back from the Far East.

The "virtuoso" New York Times –bestselling author's memoir of his spiritual journey with famed Taoist philosopher Jolan Chang ( The New York Times ).Beginning with their first meeting over lunch at Lawrence Durrell's Provencal home, Durrell and Jolan Chang—renowned Taoist philosopher and expert on Eastern sexuality—developed an enduring relationship based on mutual spiritual expl...

Collins Shorts – insight in an instant.Join David Attenborough on his journey through the cultural history of the birds of paradise, one of the most exquisite and extravagant, colourful and intriguing families of birds. In this short, the world’s best-loved naturalist explains why these charismatic birds dance so beautifully.Collins Shorts are a fresh look at the ebook short, with the emphasis on vibrant design, animated content and expert authors who can provide accessible...

The Pulitzer and Nobel Prize–winning and New York Times –bestselling author's memoir of making a movie in 1960s Japan while mourning the loss of her husband.Pearl S. Buck's children's story, The Big Wave, about two young friends whose lives are transformed when a volcano erupts and a tidal wave engulfs their village, was eventually optioned as a movie. A Bridge for Passing narrates the resulting adventur...

Winner of the Lowell Thomas Award for Best Travel Book, this newly designed collection paints a unique portrait of a complex and captivating land. One contributor lives as a monk for a month, gaining an inside look at monastic life. Another discovers Bangkok’s riverine pleasures, a world away from its car-choked streets. Yet another finds refuge as the houseguest of an isolated tribesman. Through these engaging personal stories, readers witness how Thailand satisfies just about any travele...